BARRE – The signs outside the Department for Children and Families office, where social worker Lara Sobel was shot and killed, bespoke the grief inside.

“The staff of the Barre Family Services office are not available Monday and Tuesday,” read a hand-written note on the door.

Two security guards were newly posted outside the entrances.

“It definitely hasn’t been business as usual,” said Jill Remick, an Agency of Education employee. She works in the private office building where Sobel was based.

Employees came and went from the office Monday. They met with grief counselors behind closed doors. Many had tears in their eyes and smudges of mascara.

“It’s a really tough day,” one employee said when she declined a request for an interview.

Social workers were allowed to resume their duties Monday, DCF Commissioner Ken Schatz said — but the department will accommodate employees who need more time to recover before they return to the field.

As always, social workers can ask to be accompanied by a colleague or by law enforcement when they feel at risk, Schatz said.

A sign Monday outside the Department for Children and Families office in Barre.(Photo: Paris Achen)

The Shumlin administration has promised to review security at state buildings, including Barre City Place, where more than 200 state employees have offices. The Department for Children and Families plans to examine safety protocol.

Preliminary discussions have failed to identify any obvious concerns.

“There’s no reason to believe that there was a fundamental problem with security,” said Justin Johnson, secretary of administration. “Just human nature at this point, I suppose.”

Employee concerns

State employees have had safety concerns since moving into the building in 2014, said Remick of the Education Agency.

“We definitely were aware of people coming in and out of DCF who were not happy,” Remick said. “Sometimes on that side of the building, we hear arguing.

“Once you get inside, there is increased security,” she added. “I have to swipe my badge just to get inside the break room, but when you get out of the building, there is no security.”

The employee parking lots are of particular concern, Remick said. The state-owned parking lot, where Sobel was shot, is behind the building and monitored by security cameras. Another lot is across the street. Both parking areas are accessible to the public.

Employees in the building have been discussing ways to enhance security, including providing vehicles that are unidentifiable. Today, DCF social workers use personal vehicles when going on calls, and Remick worries that makes the workers easier targets.

“I’m not sure this could have been prevented,” Remick said. “This person seemed determined.”

Johnson noted that anywhere outside office buildings can not be made 100 percent safe.

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A memorial for social worker Lara Sobel is seen in the days following her killing outside the Department for Children and Families in Barre.(Photo: FREE PRESS FILE)

Remick, director of communications at the Education Agency, organized a vigil at the shooting site Monday afternoon for employees who were unable to attend Sunday’s vigil. More than 50 employees circled around a memorial to Sobel, lit candles and observed a moment of silence. Many of the employees wore black.

The memorial grew high with flowers, teddy bears, angels, cards and other gifts.

Tila Lissor of Barre stopped by the memorial. Lissor knew Sobel for four years, since DCF started supervising Lissor’s daughter. Lissor lost custody of her daughter because of substance abuse.

“She was awesome,” Lissor said of Sobel. “She didn’t look at me as an addict. She looked at me like another person.”

Misdirected anger

Lissor said anger toward DCF is misdirected.

“Once I sobered up, I realized I made mistakes that got my daughter in this situation,” Lissor said.

Hatred, misinformation and anger toward state social workers on social media and elsewhere are among the reasons they feel unsafe, Shumlin said.

“If we can turn our misery into some positive good,” the governor said, “it should be that we all agree to respond back, to break the silence, to correct the record, to tell the truth.”

Contact Paris Achen at 802-660-1874 and pachen@freepressmedia.com. Contact April Burbank at 802-660-1863 or aburbank@freepressmedia.com.

Fundraiser warning

Gov. Peter Shumlin warned Monday that there are no legitimate online fundraisers connected with the deaths of Regina and Rhonda Herring and Julie Falzarano. The three women were found slain Saturday in Berlin. Jody Herring also is a suspect in that case.